1990-Autobiography of B. H. Roberts-President of the Eastern States Mission

President of the Eastern States Mission

Source: The Autobiography of B. H. Roberts, 1990.

Connecting up the final form in which the centennial history of the church was completed in book form has carried us past some important matters in my life's work, which must be picked up and inserted here, apparently a little out of their order.

For example, there was the call to preside over the Eastern States Mission beginning the Spring (May 29) of 1922 Several alternatives to activity had been presented to me in connection with this call to the Eastern States. The brethren of the First Presidency told me I might select a mission within the United States as a field of labor, and there was some talk made also in relation to my taking editorial charge of the Deseret News, a newspaper recognized as a church organ. The choice I finally expressed was to become president of the Eastern States Mission. This was the most populous mission in the United States and comprised at that time eleven states within its boundary, including the industrial section of the American Union and its population exceeding thirty-three millions of people—truly a noble field Also it had the attraction of including within it the territory of the early activities of the church, the birthplace of the prophet (Vermont), the early scenes of the prophet's life, the first vision, and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon (the Hill Cumorah), the cradle of the church organization (Fayette, New York). Also the Harmony, Colesville, and Susquehanna valleys, where the priesthood was restored, both the Aaronic and the Melchizedek priesthood. These many adventures of the prophet naturally would endear this section of the country to my mind and heart.

I succeeded in this presidency Elder George W. McCune, who had been in charge of the mission for three or four years and was accounted an efficient presiding officer but in need of being released largely on account of the uncertainty in the continuance of his health The mission when turned over to me numbered about 140 missionaries, chiefly young men and ladies who had been called by the general authorities of the church into this immense region of country with its large population. The first summer of my labors in this mission was occupied in visiting the eight or ten conference districts into which the mission was divided. This took me to the conference headquarters in Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts; to five conferences in New York State, including Brooklyn. Manhattan. Rochester, Buffalo. Albany, also Conferences in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Delaware, Baltimore. Washington. D. C., Charleston, and Fairmont, West Virginia, and Huntington in the valley of the Ohio at the confluence of the Big Sandy River bordering Kentucky and West Virginia.

The following summer the plan was projected for a widespread missionary tour throughout the country districts of the mission, preaching and baptizing by the way without purse and scrip for the elders. A converging of all these elders traveling through the mission territory was arranged for at the Hill Cumorah and Sacred Grove and the old Smith farm Home, near the town of Palmyra, the place of publication of the Book of Mormon and largely identified with the early movements of the church. This conference was to convene on the 21st of September 1923 in commemoration of the centennial anniversary of the revealed existence of the Book of Mormon. The 21st was the anniversary of Moroni’s first visit to the prophet at the last home of his father on the Smith farm, just south of the line between Manchester and Wayne township The missionaries converging at the meeting place of this conference had prepared a pennant blue in color and across it in white letters Cumorah, in the upper left hand comer in green and gold a picture of the Hill Cumorah, and underneath it in white letters "1823. September 21-22-23, 1923." This was worn across the shoulders of the incoming missionaries and was meant as a challenge to all observers to inquire concerning the destination and purpose of the traveling elders who wore it, and it brought about many a conversation about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. In all about 150 missionaries assembled on the Hill Cumorah on the 2lst day of September.

In the celebration, provision had been made for sleeping quarters in tents obtained from the military authorities in Rochester, New York, and placed about the Smith home Also there was a large tent that would comfortably seat the congregation and could be used in the emergencies of rains. On several occasions, rains occurring, the large tent was crowded with missionaries and the large throngs that attended the meetings.

Of course, the invitations had been extended to the General Authorities of the church in Utah, hut not until the last moment was action taken by any of them to attend the conference. However, President Gram and Sister Grant, together with their son-in-law John Taylor and his wife, then residing in the Northern States Mission, and also Rudger Clawson. Dr James E. Talmage, and Joseph Fielding Smith, all of the Council of the Twelve, attended. These brethren were very welcome and undoubtedly added importance to the occasion.

Careful preparation had been made with caterers in Palmyra to bring food to the Smith farm three times a day. It was served in the open at improvised table's through the three days. A flag pole had been cut from the Sacred Grove forty feet in length and raised just south of the Smith farmhouse with the United States flag raised upon it. Another flag pole was raised upon the Hill Cumorah and the Untied Stales flag flown from its apex, while just below was a flag representing the Jaredite and Nephite nations The Jaredite portion of the flag representing the oldest empire was of purple with their name for the scared hill in white letters RAMAH, while on the blue division of the flag was CUMORAH in white letters—the Nephite name for the hill—over which this united flag of purple anti blue and white waved.

Meetings were held m the open both on the summit of the Hill Cumorah. whence came the book of Mormon, and also in the Sacred Grove, where the holy sacrament was administered to the missionaries and to the members of the church who had gathered there in large numbers. Carefully written statements of each prominent event celebrated on this occasion were read, and appointed missionaries read written remarks from missionaries in the various conferences and fields of labor in the mission. Of course, valuable instructions and discourses and reminiscences were given by the General Authorities of the church who were present, and altogether a profitable and inspiring time was had throughout in which sociability and fellowship furnished important features.

1 had given widespread notice of this anniversary event, and several of the most important papers in New York State had designed sending special correspondents and photographers to Cumorah to chronicle in story and by pictures these events It so happened that just within the week when this conference was staged, there was a general newspaper strike called in New York, and these prominent papers were unable to feature the conference as they had intended to do. However, the local papers in Palmyra. Rochester. Syracuse, and other points gave liberal space to the description of the conference proceeding, and usually their representations were without bias and very fair. The editor of the Rochester (NY) Herald under date of September 22, 1923, said:

"Unfolding like some graphic panorama of the past epic in implications and dramatic in content, the story of an ancient civilization that peopled the plains and hills in this vicinity was the chief topic of discussion before the centennial conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. Reaching so far back into the dim yesterdays of history, back to days more than 2,500 years ago, this story came with a strange emphasis in the very place where ns climaxes and denouements are supposed to have been reached. The narrative is the very basis of Mormon theology and belief and leads directly up to the revelation given through Joseph Smith of the foundations of the Mormon Church."

Then under sub-heading it said "A NORSE SAGA. The speaker at the conference told the story with the simplicity and directness of a Norse Saga. As point after point of the drama of the lost tribes, of their rise to a great civilization and of their final downfall m the bitterness of war was related, those not conversant with the tale were gripped and fascinated by the strangeness of the recital, and when a speaker dramatically pointed to the earth and mentioned that upon the very spot where he stood some to the epic events might have taken plate there was a decided thrill to being there.”

It was at this conference that my hitherto sturdy health collapsed. The excessive work of providing for this centennial conference had required such ceaseless exertions both mental and physical that I suffered a series of nervous chills, and the physician discovered what was entirely new to me, namely that I was a victim of the dread incurable disease of diabetes. I was only able to remain on my seat and attend about half of the meetings of this conference. It was estimated that more than five thousand people attended, notwithstanding the untoward circumstances of it being rainy part of the time.

At the close of the great gathering, as I walked weakly to the automobile which was to take me to Buffalo and thence continue the journey westward to attend the general semi-annual conference of the church early in October in Salt Lake City, one of the Twelve present remarked, though not within my hearing—it was afterwards related to me—"There goes the last of Elder Roberts, he will never recover.”

It had been my intention to make the journey alone, but at the solicitation of President Grant and others, one of the returning elders was detailed to be my companion. The journey was safely made without incident, and Dr. C. E. Wilcox, a physician of long and high standing, met me at the depot on the arrival of the train and immediately took charge of me. Within an hour he had administered a dose of insulin, which had recently come into use in such eases, and I was glad of the relaxation and sense of security which the care of the donor and the loving care and rest of my family and my friends afforded me. Gradually I began to be restored to normal conditions, with the exception that I was very emaciated and weak. In the course of a few weeks, however, I mustered the strength and courage to return to my held of labor as if there had been no break in my general health.

A review of the status of missionaries in the Eastern States from the standpoint of efficiency revealed to my mind the necessity of in some way planning for a systematic course of study among the missionaries, and I hit upon the idea of establishing a mission school for imparting such instructions and creating a background of general knowledge and specific instructions which would lead to a general improvement in efficiency and morale of missionaries, and this without discontinuing the active mission work in the respective conferences. I therefore decided upon taking one-third of the missionaries in the field (about fiftv to eighty) at a time, leaving the remaining two-thirds in then respective fields of labor The time for the school could not be longer than four weeks of intensive instruction and drill.

A circular letter was sent to the respective conference or district presidents to make the selection from their respective fields, and the letter of instruction with the call for these appointments set forth the character of the work to be carried on in the school. The following paragraph is quoted from my letter of instruction: "I wish to impress upon all those who come to the school that they are coming here for a period of INTENSIVE WORK as thorough-going students. It will be a time of great economy for them, as I want expenses kept down at an absolute minimum They must not think of coming to New York as coming upon a pleasure trip, it will be a tune of sacrifice as to shows, outings, socials, and the like. Every day will be fully occupied in class work and drill. The evenings will all be occupied and remaining hours to he devoted to rest and needful sleep preparatory to early rising All folly and lightmindedness must be eliminated and there must be a perfect willingness to participate earnestly in all the activities of the school, and drink in the spirit of it. If there are any brethren or sisters who will come from your conference that cannot fully and willingly subscribe to every one of these requirements, including willingness to be criticized sharply, and corrected as their exercises, general work, appearance, and conduct, and stand reproof, if necessary. I do not want them to come to this school at all. for we shall have no time for continually explaining why we correct or reprove, and we will have no apologies to make for such correction and reproof. I ask you to emphasize this to all those you will send from your conference, and if there is any hesitancy or unwillingness to submit to the whole program as to conduct here set forth, please tell them they are excused."

The first school for this four-week course was assembled, and they were a body of very earnest, anxious students, desirous of availing themselves of the lessons and drill proposed, including hearty compliance with the above-quoted paragraph from the letter announcing the school. A day apart from the four weeks was devoted to registration and preliminary organization and instruction, so as to not intrude upon the full four weeks of instruction planned. A simple daily program was followed, a sample of which is hereunto attached.

FOURTH WEEK

9 AM

(a) Inspection. 5 minutes

(b) Devotion exercises: 15 minutes

(c) Scripture Reading Drill (selections from the Old Testiment and

the Pearl of Great Price) 40 minutes

Instructor: Pearl Snow

10 AM

The Needed Personal Qualities of Missionaries

Introspection

Instructor: President B H. Roberts

11 AM

(a) Hymnology and Smgmg Practice—20 minutes

Instructor; Elsie Cook

(b) Mission Economics Organization and Methods—Elders Only

Instructor: Fred L. Markham

(c) Self-Knowledge, Physical. Moral, and Spiritual—Lady Missionaries Only

Instructor Dr M C Roberts

12 Noon INTERMISSION AND LUNCHEON

1 PM

Outline History (Succession of Dispensations) The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times

The New Dispensation of the One and Only Gospel

Instructor; President B II Roberts

2 P M

Tracting Theory of, Objective Lessons in. Experiences Renewed

Instructor: Elizabeth Skolheld

3 P M

Preaching Theory of. Objective Lessons in Street Meetings,

Cottage Meetings, Hall Meetings

Instructor President B H Roberts

4 P.M

Directed Study Period

Instructor: Dixie Brimhall

4 30 P.M

Physical Culture and Setting-up Exercises

Instructor: Willard Bean

5 to 8 P M

Home-Going and Relaxation - Dinner

8 to 10 P M

Home Study Period (Report on Call)

As stated above this is merely a sample of the lessons that ran through the entire course of tom weeks in the live sessions of the Mission School, varying of course with the progressive building up of the several subjects and exercises. The earnestness and the enthusiasm of each of these schools was very commendable, and it was quite generally conceded by those who attended them and those who were witnesses of the effects of these courses of intensive study that the four full weeks were equal in value to six months of the ordinary mission work in the field without the school, so that it was really a great economizing of the time of the missionaries.

The arrangement of lodgings for the missionaries was by securing them before their arrival within walking distance of the Brooklyn chapel, and sufficient places were found for the young missionaries. In fact, before the close of the schools, more lodging places were offered than were found necessary, and the expense of the school was so managed that the cost of attendance upon the school did not materially increase the expense of the missionaries. Another good effect of lodging the missionaries in suitable homes around the Brooklyn chapel district was the fact of the association of these young missionaries in the homes, for the deportment of the missionaries won the respect of these neighborhoods to the Mormon people and their faith. lt often happened that the neighbors to the chapel would come to the services and at times materially increased the attendance at special meetings, and throughout the deportment of these mission students won golden opinion for the church they represented.

Five schools in all were held, the last closing on February 6, 1927. Some of the visiting authorities of the church to the mission were inclined to criticize this increasing the efficiency of the missionaries, holding that it scarcely justified the withdrawal for so many missionaries from the respective fields of labor But this was because they either did not sufficiently realize how much needed the instructions were which were imparted ihrough the school or else were invincible to the value of the background created for those who attended the school. But the missionaries who had the advantage of them were fully persuaded of the high value of these schools and quite generally rated them as the most profitable and interesting period of their mission experience. The atmosphere of the mission home, "that of a spiritual and cultural center,” and the school have frequently been referred to as the most enjoyable and ideal periods of spiritual living which had ever touched their lives. How could it be otherwise given all the objectives and elements that entered into those attendant upon the Eastern States Mission School.